It comes as no surprise that the biggest cash buyer in ship recycling disputes the claim made by critics that shipbreaking is the world’s most dangerous job.

GMS founder and chief executive Anil Sharma has been in the business since the early 1990s, when he bought vessels from the US Maritime Administration on behalf of Indian recyclers.

But, he says, plenty on the waterfront has changed since then, and with the ongoing environmental and safety improvements being made by yards in India, he believes Alang, the hub...